The Indianapolis journal., 1887-11-24
SENTENCES SHOULD NOT BE SHORT.
Female Reformatory Managers Say Women
can't Be Reformed in Year or Two.

The managers of the Female Reformatory
filed their sixteenth annual report with Cover
nor Gray yesterday. They fully satisfied
with the conduct of the institution and are
'gratifed to be able to state that the manage
ment has always been humane, judicious and
economical" In the penal department there are
ffty-two convicts. Thirty-one have been re-
ceived during the year; twenty nine have been
discharged on expiration of their terms; one has
been granted ticket-of leave; three have died.
The management regret that short terms have
been given to many of the prisoners sent
there. They say: 'It is mistaken of
justice or mercy on the part of the judges pro-
nouncing these sentences to send criminals to
reformatory prison for a short term. the pos
sibiiity of reformation in or two years, after
twenty or thirty of iniquitous living associa-
ton. is almost hopeless" Of the thirty
ceived seventeen were sentenced for one year,
one for eighteen months, seven for two years.
three for three years, two for four years, and
one for life.
In the reformatory department there are one
hundred and twenty girls. Thirtyone have
been received during the year new commit
ments, and twelve returned from ticKet-of-
leave. Twenty-Five have been discharged On
becoming of age; twenty three released
ticket-of-leave; three sent to the Home for
Predetermined Children. The schools in this
department. Were open for seven months. In
the penal department the prisoners were taught
two evenings each week in the rudimentary
branches Health has been good Only three
have died. all in the prison department. One of
these was eighty years of age, and her death is
attributed to general debility" Another died
of heart disease and the third of 'syphilitic
pEthisis.h
The work of the institution has been kept up
te the highest standard. The receipts from this
source during the year were So $40. SO, an excess
OF 81, ,0l4-33 over last year. The expenditures
for material amounted to 81 .291 Oh. The eXpen-
ditures for the year For permanent inn
provements and repairs. So 501.24; for support
and salaries $26. 490 40. The amount collected
from the various counties S13 39l o., and
this. with the net earnings So, 81 subtracted
from the expenditures outside of permanent inn
provements, leaves $10, ,519. So general charge
the State treasury. OF course, the amount
collected from the counties is charge on the
people of the State Inucn as that derived from
the treasury from other funds. The managers
think they need hospital a chapel, and a
high brick wall around the grounds. They esti-
mate that the hospital would cost $1,000 to
ST, 900.
The superintendent report is attached to
that of the managers. She wishes 1t were better
understood by the world at large that the penal
and reformatory departments totally dis
tnct, and that there is no intercourse permitted
between the inmates of the two. Effort is made
to furnish suitable entertainment and sport for
the reformatory girls, well as instruction and
work. There have been escapes during the
year, and only three attempts to leave without
permission. The total expenses We're $29, 99I. 73.